


all that's left of soldier dreams

by Doranwen



Category: Earth Girl Trilogy - Janet Edwards
Genre: Double Drabble Sequence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:54:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21549448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doranwen/pseuds/Doranwen
Summary: What were Riak Torrek's thoughts throughout the events of Earth Girl?
Comments: 14
Kudos: 21
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	all that's left of soldier dreams

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lullabymoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lullabymoon/gifts).



> I didn't include the time headings in the wordcounts - and the last one's a drabble only - but the rest are double drabbles, I promise!

**November 2770**

Riak stared out over the hillside of… whatever planet he was on. They'd told him, but he didn't really care. He should have been left on K18276, left with Jarra and… He punched the soil in anger, pulling back and rubbing at his sore fist. His mind wandered for several hours, lost in memories, until he reached for his lookup. He intended to pull up a few pictures of the three of them, but his eyes caught the notification that he had a new mail. He checked the sender: Gemena. If it had been Marack, he might've ignored it; the last time they'd spoke, Riak had been less than civil to him. But Gemena had said very little; what could she possibly want? 

His finger stabbed at the screen to open the mail. It was short, text only: _Marack and I wanted to let you know that we decided to have an Honour Child for Jarra. She should be born next summer. We love you._

Riak's eyes lingered on the final sentence before closing the mail. He tried to remember what Jaxon and Gemelle looked like, and wondered if the new Jarra would look more like one or the other.

* * *

**August 2771**

Riak checked the lookup once again, frowning. He'd been notified that Gemena was in labor, but that was nearly two days ago, and there had been no further communication since. A woman dying in labor was virtually unheard of these days, so what could have gone wrong?

He could've been there last week. Marack and Gemena had invited him to come spend some time with the children before the birth, but Riak wasn't about to go anywhere near a Military base. They could count themselves fortunate he even wanted to read mails from them. A part of him still wished he had suffered the same fate that terrible day…

His lookup finally chimed, notifying him of new mail, and he opened it… only to stare at it in shock.

_Jarra was born Handicapped_ , it read, _and Hospital Earth requires one parent to stay on Earth with her. We could not do that. I'm very sorry._

Riak flung the lookup several metres away from himself and clenched his jaw as his eyes fixed on nothing. All of that hope for no reason; she was lost to them again. Maybe that was his lesson—he had to learn to live without her.

* * *

**January 2789**

"Could you repeat that?" Riak asked the Major who was calling from Military Support. He had never expected… He'd thought of her often, looking down from the solar array toward Earth, wondering where in that world she was living.

"You are requested to perform the Honour Ceremony for Colonel Jarra Tell Morrath," the woman said again. "I wanted to call rather than simply sending a mail only because records indicate your close relationship to Colonel Tell Morrath. If you do not feel capable of performing her ceremony, you have the option of requesting another Colonel in your place."

A chance to see her. To meet her. Even if she had rejected her family—and understandably so—this was the chance he had thought would never come. When she hadn't contacted anyone on her 14th birthday… "I will perform it. Where—?"

"The details for her Honour Child's location are being sent to you in a mail as we speak."

"Thank you." The call ended, and Riak took a deep breath as the realization sunk in. He was going to get to meet his granddaughter! If only Marack and Gemena could come… At least they would get to see the recording.

* * *

**January 2789, a couple weeks later**

Riak struggled to maintain control of the ship as they launched from the solar array. A part of his mind wished Drago was there so he could order him to fly the ship, but the other part was thankful he wasn't. If they died in the attempt, at least he wouldn't take his great-nephew with him.

"Power down to 30% and dropping!" called one of his officers.

Chaos take it! There was no way they could make White Sands at this point. He wasn't even sure where they were until he caught a glimpse of a mass of ruins. New York Main Dig Site! The cleared areas nearby could have settlements, but no one would be out on the dig site with a solar storm. It was the only place he could go without endangering civilians—like his granddaughter. He steered his ship toward the center of the ruins, and hoped everyone had their harnesses fastened tightly. He dodged one tower, then another… The river was so close, but the last tower he couldn't dodge, and felt the shuddering of the ship as everything crashed down onto them. Maybe he would get to see Jarra again, if he survived this.

* * *

**January 2789, a few hours later**

Riak's left arm throbbed, but having it strapped to his chest at least reduced the likelihood of sharp pains from jostling it. He took a deep breath of the crisp cool air, grateful to have survived the crash.

"Sir, you should head to Medical 1," one of the doctors on his team suggested as they were surrounded by archaeologists gesturing them to hover sleds.

He nodded in acknowledgement and climbed on board a sled where the doctor was already sitting, monitoring a Captain with a broken collarbone.

"Welcome to Earth, sir," said the sled driver. "Thank you."

"Thank **you** ," he returned. He walked into the dome and surveyed the line of stretchers. Most had familiar Military impact suits on, but five were clearly civilian ones. "Those are the archaeologists who were injured rescuing us?" he asked a civilian doctor who was checking their lookup.

"Yes. Nardek from Earth 19, Jarra from Asgard 6—"

"Jarra? As in Jarra Tell Morrath?"

The doctor looked at him a little strangely. "Yes," he answered, but Riak no longer heard him. Jarra was injured saving him, and far more severely than his broken arm. He could've lost her without ever getting to know her…

* * *

**February 2789**

The face of the General Marshal filled Riak's lookup. "You will be presenting the Artemis at the ceremony," the General Marshal ordered.

"The two who didn't survive the crash landing."

"And the tag leaders who were injured."

Riak stared at the lookup. He would present his own granddaughter with the Artemis? His voice was shaky when he found it again. "It would be my honor, sir."

The call ended, and it was several minutes before he resumed work. He would have to find a way to keep in touch with Jarra after this was over. Perhaps something else would happen…


End file.
